Prazosin

Category: pharmacological

Aliases: Minipress

Pharmacological Mechanism

Short-acting selective α1-adrenergic blocker. BP lowering + BPH symptom relief. Off-label for PTSD-related nightmares + sleep disturbance (raised α1 tone in PTSD; prazosin softens hyperarousal during sleep).

Half-Life (t½)

PO: 3h

Dosing Guidelines

• PO: Typical 5 mg (Range: 1–20 mg)

Target Organ Systems

• cardiovascular
• reproductive

Pathways It Modulates

• Adrenergic receptor signaling (inhibitor) — α1

Chemical Identifiers

• PubChem CID: 4893
• Formula: C19H21N5O4
• Molecular weight: 383.4 g/mol
• InChIKey: IENZQIKPVFGBNW-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• SMILES: COC1=C(C=C2C(=C1)C(=NC(=N2)N3CCN(CC3)C(=O)C4=CC=CO4)N)OC

References

• PMID 6994981
• PMID 9839591